Buckeyes focus on Spartans, not BCS

Sunday

Dec 1, 2013 at 11:09 PM

The Buckeyes are now No. 2 in the BCS, but none of it will matter unless Urban Meyer can win his 25th game in a row as OSU's head coach. For the first time, Ohio State will play in the Big Ten Championship Game on Saturday night in Indianapolis. The Buckeyes would have to beat No. 10 Michigan State to stay in the national title argument.

Todd Porter CantonRep.com Special Projects Editor @toddporter

As Ohio State's caravan of buses rolled out of Michigan Stadium just before 5 p.m. Saturday, it left Ann Arbor to a symphony of congratulatory horns.

By the time the team pulled into home in Columbus three hours later, its world had changed.

Suddenly the Buckeyes no longer were on the outside looking in at the national championship game. Ohio State players broke out in loud celebration when Auburn returned a missed field goal 109 yards to knock off No. 1 Alabama.

That loss, combined with Ohio State's thrilling 42-41 win over unranked Michigan, moved the Buckeyes to No. 2 in all the polls and, most importantly, the BCS rankings.

Florida State moved up to No. 1 in Sunday's BCS rankings, followed by Ohio State and then Auburn. Alabama is fourth and Missouri is fifth.

None of it will matter unless Urban Meyer can win his 25th game in a row as OSU's head coach. For the first time, Ohio State will play in the Big Ten Championship Game on Saturday night in Indianapolis. The Buckeyes would have to beat No. 10 Michigan State to stay in the national title argument.

And Meyer isn't chiming in.

"Our focus is on this game, and that's it," Meyer said. "It would be a disservice to our players if I went about worried about it. We have to move the ball against a great defense. That's our focus."

Whether he intended to or not, Meyer used the same words as Auburn Athletic Director Jay Jacobs, who said it would be a "disservice to college football" if a one-loss Auburn was left out of the national title game in favor of an unbeaten Ohio State. He later said it would be "un-American."

Meyer kept his head down and seemed intent on grinding away on Michigan State.

"I have not seen enough teams to give my opinion," said Meyer, who casts a vote in the coaches' poll. "I feel very strongly about my team. I would take this team anywhere with me. A team that knows how to win and refuses to lose is a special team, and this is a very special team."

To remain special, though, Meyer and his coaching staff will have to fix some problems. Ohio State is facing a Michigan State team with the country's top-ranked defense. Spartans head coach Mark Dantonio, who was OSU's defensive coordinator when Ohio State won its last national title in 2002, plays a unique, gambling style press coverage that rattles quarterbacks with blitz pressure.

Buckeye quarterback Braxton Miller had thrown for more than 200 yards in his previous three games. But he completed just 6 of 15 passes for 133 yards, two touchdowns and an interception in the Michigan win.

"He's a very capable quarterback," Meyer said. "I do think we have to get back to it. In the second half (against Michigan), we were moving the ball on the ground. It wasn't his inability to throw, but we were dominant in the running game."

In that respect, the Big Ten has a prefect matchup on its hands. Ohio State is the conference's best offense.

Michigan State could get to the Rose Bowl even if it lost to Ohio State, which would end up in the national title game with a win most likely.

"I don't know," Dantonio said. "I'm not thinking about losing. We have to play to win. We're going to look at things we can control."

This is the first time in school history Ohio State is playing a game the week after an emotional win against Michigan. Meyer, along with the highest paid coaching staff in the conference, have to get the players focused on playing a better team than was Michigan in a game with much more on the line.

"That's what we get paid to do," Meyer said. "I have a lot of confidence in our coaches. We have to be the ringleaders for that. ... The coaches and our team leaders have to make sure there is no letdown."

Making matters tougher is Ohio State's defense gave up more than 600 yards to the Wolverines. Michigan State's offense struggled earlier this season, but it has found a quiet confidence.

This isn't Meyer's first conference championship game. He coached in the SEC title games when he was at Florida.

"This is a big game in a big-time atmosphere," Meyer said. "My job is simple. Make sure the players are focused."